The present invention relates to an adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer and more particularly pertains to supporting a user""s arm while using a mouse and keyboard of the computer.
Computer users often suffer many maladies during extensive use of the keyboard and mouse. Users often find themselves bracing their arm against the sharp edge of a desktop while using the keyboard and the mouse. This results in an uncomfortable pressure placed on the lower forearm because the pressure placed on the forearm is not distributed over a large enough area. Alternatively, the user can utilize the arm of their chair for forearm and wrist support, but generally this requires an uncomfortable balance of the mouse pad on the chair arm and, of course, is only possible if the chair is equipped with an arm.
Numerous wrist pads, wrist supports, arm supports, and ergonomic methods known in the art have addressed the problem of providing comfortable use of a computer keyboard and mouse, but none have proven fully comfortable. Thus, there exists a need for a device that will allow the computer user to comfortably use their keyboard and mouse while also preventing any pains in the forearm and wrist.
The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned problem by providing an arm rest that will comfortably support the user""s arm and wrist while using the keyboard and mouse of their computer.
The use of computer related support devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, computer related support devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of facilitating the use of a computer are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,180 to Baranowski discloses a forearm and wrist support device attachable to a work surface, for use while operating a computer mouse. U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,897 to Martin and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,698 to Lin disclose additional computer keyboard support devices.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer for supporting a user""s arm while using a mouse and keyboard of the computer.
In this respect, the adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a user""s arm while using a mouse and keyboard of the computer.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which can be used for supporting a user""s arm while using a mouse and keyboard of the computer. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of computer related support devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a support bracket couplable with the forward edge of the desk. The support bracket includes a top plate and a bottom plate disposed in a spaced relationship for being positioned over and below the forward edge of the desk. The top plate and the bottom plate have a central support extending therebetween. The top plate has a slide bar secured thereto. The slide bar has a pivot pin extending upwardly therefrom. The pivot pin has an upper end defined by a stop disk. A support plate is couplable with the support bracket. The support plate includes an upper plate and a lower plate disposed in a spaced relationship and joined at aligned forward ends thereof. The bottom plate of the support plate has a central channel formed therein for being positioned over the slide bar of the top plate of the support bracket. The support plate has a central recess formed therein extending inwardly of the forward ends of the upper plate and lower plate thereof. The top plate of the support plate has a pair of corner stops secured thereto inwardly of the forward edge thereof. An arm support is couplable with the pivot pin of the support bracket. The arm support has a generally elongated rectangular configuration. The arm support has a padded upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface has a receiving channel formed therein. The receiving channel is defined by a central narrow portion having opposed enlarged end portions. The enlarged end portions receive the stop disk of the pivot pin therein to allow the arm support to slide and pivot with respect to the support bracket and the support plate while supporting the user""s arm thereon.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which has all the advantages of the prior art computer related support devices and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such an adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer for supporting a user""s arm while using a mouse and keyboard of the computer.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable arm rest for use with a personal computer including a support bracket couplable with the forward edge of the desk. The support bracket includes a pivot pin extending upwardly therefrom. A support plate is couplable with the support bracket. An arm support is couplable with the pivot pin of the support bracket to allow the arm support to slide and pivot with respect to the support bracket and the support plate while supporting the user""s arm thereon.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.